Senior Trend Researcher: Fashion

Job title: Senior Trend Researcher (Fashion Consultancy)

Reporting to: Senior Consultant Direct reports: N/A Business area: WGSN Mindset

Function: Consultancy

Location: London UK - Hybrid (min. 3 days per week office based)

Salary: Competitive market rate salary

The role

We are looking to hire a Senior Trend Researcher to join our Mindset Consultancy team in the UK.

Working at WGSN

Together, we create tomorrow

A career with WGSN is fast-paced, exciting and full of opportunities to grow and develop. We're a team of consumer and design trend forecasters, content creators, designers, data analysts, advisory consultants and much more, united by a common goal: to create tomorrow. WGSN's trusted consumer and design forecasts power outstanding product design, enabling our customers to create a better future. Our services cover consumer insights, beauty, consumer tech, fashion, interiors, lifestyle, food and drink forecasting, data analytics and expert advisory. If you are an expert in your field, we want to hear from you.

Role overview

We are looking for a Senior Trend Researcher (Fashion) to join our dynamic, ambitious and close-knit consultancy team. Working closely with our team of global consultants, you will be responsible for researching and creating solution-driven qualitative and quantitative analyses in accordance with clients' bespoke needs.

With proven experience, the Senior Trend Researcher will have a broad understanding of research, analysis and strategy. With a focus on building world-class research and supporting large-scale projects, you'll also collaborate with a team of international experts. In order to succeed in this role you must hold relevant fashion-specific qualifications at BA level, as well as experience in either:

• Working agency side developing research for consultancy projects for the fashion retail sector.
• Working at a brand / retailer within buying, design or trend.

You’ll have an in-depth understanding of trends, consumer research, market analysis, new product development and the role data and analytics play in commercial success for fashion clients. You will be proactive in collaborating with consultants and presenting new ideas to deliver innovation, with the ability to pin-point trends that will impact the client’s business.

The team

You will be part of a dynamic, high-performing team, made up of 40+ consultants and trend researchers who bring together bespoke solutions for a wide range of clients across the globe. You will be working with industry experts and thought leaders with backgrounds in; creative strategy, product innovation, design, marketing, buying and merchandising, data analytics and of course trend forecasting.

 

Key Accountabilities

• Working with Consultants, Senior Consultants and Directors to deliver the defined Consultancy strategy to clients, ensuring the appropriate methodologies and frameworks are employed for all project teams.
• Conduct qualitative and quantitative research across a variety of methodologies and deliver analysis that provides actionable recommendations that will benefit the client's future bus iness.
• Taking a proactive approach to developing and sharing relevant insights with both colleagues and clients positively impacts Mindset’s positioning as thought leaders.
• Able to communicate concepts and ideas and articulate findings from research to peers and project leads. Working across multiple formats, written, visual, digital, audio, etc.
• Play an active role in project management and admin tasks, collaborating and supporting senior colleagues and project leads.
• Support senior colleagues in commercial activity by contributing to the development of compelling pitch material.
• Present to key stakeholders both internally and externally, participating in Q&A and client workshops where appropriate.
• Travel nationally and internationally to deliver high-value consulting projects to clients. Working across time zones with a diverse set of clients.
• Good organisation, communication and collaboration skills with the ability to work independently within an international team to ensure strategy & outputs are of a consistently high standard.
• Excellent time management, with proven experience in effectively tracking and delivering to multiple concurrent project deadlines.

This list is not exhaustive and there may be other activities you are required to deliver.

Skills, experience & qualifications required

• Qualifications and proven experience working agency or brand/retail side, developing product direction and strategy across the fashion retail sector.
• Robust and rounded research methodologies to develop market-relevant fashion trend solutions; creative direction and/or assortment plans.
• Strong knowledge of the global fashion market, understanding premium to commercial trends across fashion and lifestyle product areas, with the ability to pin-point trends that will have a great impact.
• Strong knowledge of consumer behaviour, generational shifts and marketing/social media trends across the fashion industry.
• Ability to analyse data and identify and communicate trends within said data that will impact clients.
• Strong level of writing and reporting in English with relevant language surrounding fashion terminology and product attributes.
• Good presentation skills with proven experience in presenting to internal stakeholders, external clients and/or at events.
• Technical skills: Microsoft Office, Google Workspace. A basic knowledge and/or capabilities in data visualisation software such as Tableau is an advantage.